4 Signs Your Social Authority is Growing

You’ve taken the plunge into social media. You’re posting, tweeting, and sharing. Now you’re wondering if all this time and energy is worthwhile. How do you know you’re not spinning your wheels? Our knee jerk reaction is to look at numbers. We all want proof – especially senior management. But, it’s really not ALL about the numbers.

There are some signs your social authority is growing (and you’ve probably taken them for granted).

Are you starting to think about your industry differently? Diving into social media is like jumping out of the nest for the first time. It’s a whole other world out there! And you didn’t even know it existed (and it can be overwhelming – that’s normal).

Have you met or engaged with someone online rather than in person? In fact, I’ve never physically met most of the people I deal with on a daily basis. They are business contacts I met through social media.

Have you been invited to speak at an event? During my event planning days, I looked for speakers on LinkedIn, a well of expertise and thought leadership. Hint: include the word “speaker” or “presenter” in your LinkedIn summary section and include a few of your presentations on SlideShare, now owned by LinkedIn. I’m betting it won’t take long to get an invitation to speak (a great way to boost thought leadership).

Have you been asked to be a guest blogger? Blogging is another way to boost your thought leadership and once again, LinkedIn makes it easy with Pulse, the publishing tool. The traffic is already there, so no need to spend a ton of time driving traffic to your own blog. Simply jump into the ready-made stream of traffic on LinkedIn.

Social media is simply a tool for communication. When tracking sales leads, be sure to attribute social media channels when appropriate. Did that new contact come from LinkedIn, Twitter or a trade show (or a combo)? Most importantly, remember tracking numbers of followers is useful, but the quality of the network is the key – 10,000 twitter followers are only useful if they will amplify your message.

About Denise Bahs

Denise is inspired by the study of human behavior, specifically as it relates to the differences between the generations. Gen X and Gen Y do things differently. Social media has had an impact on the banking and payments industry and the generational differences play a major role in where things are headed. These are the trends that get Denise out of bed in the morning.
Denise has worked in the banking and payments industry for nearly 20 years with an emphasis on marketing. When social media first came on the scene, she found it intriguing which led to her starting a blog and networking in the start-ups realm. Denise is a professional coach and public speaker and in her spare time enjoys many forms of exercise.
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